Local elections in LTTE areas likely to be postponed

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 February 2006, 14:28 GMT]Commissioner of Elections is to decide on whether to hold local council elections in areas controlled by the Liberation Tigers in the NorthEast on March 30th only after holding two conferences, one with all the District Returning Officers who are the Government Agents of the province, and the other with the general secretaries of the registered political parties contesting the poll, sources said.

Election department circles in Colombo speculated that polls to local authorities in LTTE territory are likely to be postponed and the Commissioner of Elections is to announce his decision after the two conferences, sources said.

Except two local authorities, one Verugal pradesiya sabai in Trincomalee district, and other Puthukudiruppu PS in Mullaitivu district, all other local councils in LTTE held areas are being contested.

The Ilankai Thamil Arasu Kadchchi returned uncontested in Verugal PS as no other parties or group filed nominations. But in Puthukudiruppu PS the Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) returned unopposed as the Returning Office rejected the nomination list filed by the only independent group as it failed to comply with local election ordinance, sources said.